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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — a break
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — magic
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fall — the season
  22. spell — letters
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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