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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chest — a box
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — to rip
  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