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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tear — from crying
  13. file — a tool
  14. fall — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — to rip
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a document
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — the month

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