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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tear — from crying
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cap — of ice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bulb — for light

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