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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lean — to bend
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — thin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tear — to rip
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stand — to bear

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