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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — the cause
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pit — in a race
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — hurry
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — of a plant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  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