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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. present — the time now
  12. object — an aim
  13. rock — music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cold — an illness
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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