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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — the season
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. field — for sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — a measure
  11. field — farmland
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rest — a break
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. field — a subject
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. track — a song
  24. foot — part of the body

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