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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. march — the month
  7. tear — from crying
  8. root — of a plant
  9. march — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. object — a thing
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wind — moving air
  16. band — a ring
  17. root — of a word
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a music group
  23. rest — a break
  24. root — the cause

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