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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — in music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. scale — size or range
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — the animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fall — the season
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bark — of a tree

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