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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — from crying
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. court — of a king
  11. bound — certain
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — of law
  18. date — the fruit
  19. court — for sport
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pass — a permit

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