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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — finally
  5. rule — government
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tear — to rip
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — to go on
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. game — wild animals
  18. drill — a practice
  19. last — final
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. game — a match

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