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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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468
Word bank
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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pass — a permit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — what's left
  8. file — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tear — from crying
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. file — a document
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rest — a break
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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