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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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468
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — in football
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — a subject
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pass — to spend time

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