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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — the time now
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. capital — money
  6. present — a gift
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tear — to rip
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — a permit
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. field — for sport
  19. present — there
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lie — to recline

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