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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. present — the time now
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. capital — a city
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — a trail
  13. present — a gift
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — from crying
  16. march — music
  17. present — there
  18. pit — a hole
  19. capital — money
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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