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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. swing — music
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — a price
  11. cold — an illness
  12. swing — to play on
  13. charge — in control
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — electricity
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tear — to rip

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