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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. object — an aim
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tear — to rip
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. object — to protest
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — the time now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — of the year
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tear — from crying
  23. present — there
  24. season — in sport

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