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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — to go on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — a gift
  11. tear — to rip
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — there
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. present — the time now

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