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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · club · dip · deal · stand · tear · chest · leaves

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fine — high quality
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chest — of your body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chest — a box
  16. tear — to rip
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fine — all right
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chest — of your body
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stand — to bear
  24. deal — a big deal

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