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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. object — an aim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fan — a supporter

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