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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: lie · leaves · firm · tear · field · stand · rock · wind

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — farmland
  5. rock — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tear — from crying
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. firm — a company
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — steady
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — decided

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