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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. staff — employees
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — shares
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. staff — employees
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rest — a break
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mine — belonging to me

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