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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — for golf
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tear — from crying
  18. club — a group
  19. fall — the season
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fall — to drop

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