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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — to protest
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fall — the season
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. object — a thing
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. object — an aim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — to grow
  24. tear — from crying

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