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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — a position
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ground — the earth

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