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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — to go on
  6. root — of a word
  7. tear — from crying
  8. last — finally
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bass — low music
  17. last — final
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mate — a friend
  20. season — of the year
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — in sport
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wake — before a funeral

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