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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. tear — to rip
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tear — from crying
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — for pool

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