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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — the underground
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — a position
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — a break
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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