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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — in golf
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — to drill
  15. swing — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chair — a leader
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ground — a position

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