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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. court — for sport
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — a law
  12. firm — a company
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. court — of a king
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spell — letters
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. court — of law
  19. rule — government
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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