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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. file — a tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. capital — money
  12. lean — thin
  13. tear — to rip
  14. file — a document
  15. capital — a city
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bear — to put up with

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