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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — a song
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — in control
  6. content — the amount
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. track — a path
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tear — to rip
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. charge — a price
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fall — to drop

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