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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spring — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pit — a hole
  24. tear — to rip

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