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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. march — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — a permit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — high quality
  16. content — happy
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. content — the amount
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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