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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — for catching
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — the season
  11. net — after costs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a word
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. root — the cause
  24. stand — for spectators

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