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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: hide · fall · tear · nail · pit · present · stick · degree

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. degree — temperature
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. present — there
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. present — a gift
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. present — the time now

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