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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: tear · stand · perch · kick · fall · track · squash · present

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tear — to rip
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. perch — the fish
  7. present — a gift
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. present — there
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — the sport
  13. track — a path
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. present — the time now
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — a song

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