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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of a king
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — the time now
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. court — of law
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — there
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — for sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. present — a gift

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