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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. firm — decided
  5. tear — from crying
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. firm — steady
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. firm — a company
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rash — a series
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. drill — army training

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