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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: fall · coach · mouse · bear · tear · lie · bowl · stand

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fall — the season
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — for a computer

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