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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — thin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — a practice
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tear — to rip

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