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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — to paddle
  9. firm — a company
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lean — thin
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — steady
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a line
  24. lean — to rest against

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