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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tear — from crying
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. band — a ring
  24. rock — to move gently

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