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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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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ground — crushed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mug — a face
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. track — a song
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mug — to rob
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. trunk — of a tree

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