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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. court — for sport
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rule — a law
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — government
  16. fine — all right
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. court — of a king
  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