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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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Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — there
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. swing — to play on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. present — a gift
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — the time now
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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