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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. snap — to click
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rash — a series

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