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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 · pitcher · cabinet · march · track · stand · nail · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. track — a song
  5. march — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a path
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — to bear
  16. track — to keep track
  17. march — the month
  18. tear — from crying
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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