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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 116 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fall — the season
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. root — the cause
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cell — a phone
  9. track — a song
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a word
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a path
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. track — to keep track

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