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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lean — thin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rule — government
  23. mine — for digging
  24. tear — from crying

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