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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cap — a lid
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — a skill
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — the cause
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. craft — boats
  10. cap — of ice
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tear — to rip
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lean — thin
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lean — to bend
  23. root — of a word
  24. craft — a handicraft

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