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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tear — to rip
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — there
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. field — for sport
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. present — the time now
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. present — a gift
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. field — farmland
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stand — on your feet

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