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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — magic

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