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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. charge — electricity
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. charge — in control
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — goods
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stock — shares
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — a price
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fall — the season

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