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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rock — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — in a race

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