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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — steady
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fall — the season
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — a company
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — of ice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — a short time
  21. firm — decided
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  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