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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. sharp — clever
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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