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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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 — to rip
  2. lie — to recline
  3. march — music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — government
  6. present — a gift
  7. march — the month
  8. object — to protest
  9. march — the month
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — an aim
  12. rule — a law
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. present — there
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — in music
  18. present — the time now
  19. object — a thing
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a dance
  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