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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mate — to breed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tube — a container
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — to recline
  24. swing — to play on

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