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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: ruler · fall · stand · lean · chair · jam · sharp · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — the season
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — clever
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stand — for spectators

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