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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. jam — in traffic

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