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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — a gift
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. club — a group
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. club — for golf
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. present — there
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — the time now

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