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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cap — a lid
  3. present — a gift
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spring — a coil
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. present — there
  10. tear — to rip
  11. spring — of water
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spring — the season
  15. face — to confront
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to point toward

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