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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stand — to bear
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — an aim
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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