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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. shower — rain
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stand — to bear
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — to visit
  11. band — a music group
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — music
  16. band — a ring
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitch — a sports field

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