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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. content — the amount
  8. tear — to rip
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. content — happy
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. leaves — lets stay

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