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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: stand · ruler · swing · stick · tear · fan · hand · lie

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — an untruth

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