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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. court — for sport
  5. track — a path
  6. tear — to rip
  7. roll — a list
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — to rob
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — a face
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. track — a song
  19. court — of a king
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stem — to come from
  24. plane — in geometry

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