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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: track · fall · hand · firm · rush · cell · tear · mug

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. mug — a face
  7. firm — decided
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — a company
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fall — the season
  20. track — a path
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mug — a cup
  23. track — a song
  24. fall — to drop

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