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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. file — a tool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. file — a line of people
  10. face — to confront
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. file — a document
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a word
  24. face — part of the head

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