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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. object — a thing
  8. cap — of ice
  9. track — a path
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fall — the season
  13. cap — a lid
  14. object — an aim
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kid — child
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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