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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. tear — from crying
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lean — to bend
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — thin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hand — help
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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