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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. roll — a list
  24. craft — boats

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