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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.

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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fall — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — animal skin

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