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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — the time now
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to sink
  5. tear — from crying
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. present — there
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. present — a gift
  20. rock — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — a dish

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