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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. firm — decided
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. tear — from crying
  7. firm — a company
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — the season
  11. tear — to rip
  12. firm — steady
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bass — low music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. drill — army training
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fall — to drop

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