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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rule — government
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pass — a permit
  9. root — the cause
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. root — of a word
  16. bound — certain
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rule — a law
  21. roll — a list
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. tear — from crying

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