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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — the tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. scale — in music
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bat — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. drill — army training
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pound — a weight
  20. firm — a company
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fall — the season
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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