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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — of ice
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. toast — bread
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — to rip
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — to tire

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