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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tear — from crying
  6. band — a ring
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — government
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — a law
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — a grade
  24. tube — the underground

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