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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 124 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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468
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — to bear
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. content — happy
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — the amount
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bowl — a dish

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