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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — there
  3. swing — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — employees
  8. stand — to bear
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rule — a law
  18. mine — for digging
  19. staff — employees
  20. rule — government
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — to rule out

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