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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — magic
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — the season
  15. object — a thing
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. net — for catching
  18. object — to protest
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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