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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 · stick · stand · mug · hide · lie · court · root

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — of law
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — for sport
  6. tear — from crying
  7. root — the cause
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mug — a face
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a word
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — to recline
  21. court — of a king
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — animal skin

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