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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — to come down
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lean — to bend
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lean — thin
  20. land — a country
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. land — ground

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