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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — electric
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — to crush
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tear — to rip

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