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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. file — a tool
  3. game — a match
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. march — music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — a permit
  22. file — a line of people
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. march — the month

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