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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. land — to come down
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tear — to rip
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. land — a country
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lean — to bend
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — completely
  22. land — ground
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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