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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. last — final
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. staff — employees
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — a series
  18. staff — employees
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rash — on the skin

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