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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. object — to protest
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. march — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — a permit
  14. march — the month
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — music
  20. tear — to rip
  21. object — a thing
  22. mark — a grade
  23. object — an aim
  24. calf — a young animal

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