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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. content — the amount
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — happy
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  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