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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fork — in a road
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. capital — a city
  13. tear — from crying
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. season — in sport
  16. toast — bread
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. capital — money
  19. band — a music group
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. perch — for a bird

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