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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. object — to protest
  6. tear — to rip
  7. object — an aim
  8. court — of a king
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — a thing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. court — of law
  22. bear — the animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. court — for sport

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