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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cap — a lid
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fall — the season
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cap — of ice
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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