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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — to come down
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — all right
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fine — high quality

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