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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tear — to rip
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. snap — to click
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pass — a permit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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