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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bark — to shout
  5. key — for a lock
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — a container
  18. spell — letters
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. key — in music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — to spend time

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