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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: fine · chest · squash · object · cabinet · last · stand · tear

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — to rip
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. last — final
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chest — a box
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — finally
  19. object — a thing
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fine — all right
  22. chest — of your body
  23. last — to go on
  24. object — an aim

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