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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. present — there
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — goods
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. present — the time now
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — shares

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