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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — to come down
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a great time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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