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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. tear — from crying
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — to drill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — there
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com