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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the fish
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. shower — rain
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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