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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chest — a box
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mark — a grade
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — to rip
  11. firm — a company
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. track — a path
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — steady
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — decided

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