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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bear — to put up with

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