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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fall — the season
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to tire

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