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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. clip — to cut
  5. lean — thin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. clip — a video
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. clip — for paper
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to bend
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a committee

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