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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a hat
  6. last — final
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. land — a country
  14. present — there
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — of ice
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — a permit
  19. present — a gift
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wind — moving air
  22. land — ground
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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