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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. present — there
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. bat — the animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. present — the time now
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. plane — an aircraft

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