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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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Word bank
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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: stand · fall · wind · cabinet · tear · roll · arm · fork

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. roll — a list
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — the season
  10. tear — from crying
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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