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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 124 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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stand — to bear
  4. roll — a list
  5. tube — the underground
  6. club — for golf
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tube — a container
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rock — a stone
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rock — music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rush — hurry
  24. tube — in a tire

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