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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 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. tube — a container
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pound — a weight
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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