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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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. hand — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stand — to bear
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. saw — the tool

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