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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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468
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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — in a road
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — ministers

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