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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — a division
  11. cap — a hat
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a lid
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — a position

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