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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. season — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tear — from crying
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — thin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rule — a law
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mouse — the animal
  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