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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — decided
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. snap — to click
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. firm — a company
  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