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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — a series
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tear — from crying
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — army training
  24. fork — a garden tool

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