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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. content — the amount
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rule — government
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fall — the season
  17. cue — for pool
  18. content — happy
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. field — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — a law

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