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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — to fit
  4. march — the month
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. current — electric
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. current — happening now
  13. march — music
  14. hand — help
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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