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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. land — a country
  5. tear — from crying
  6. land — ground
  7. march — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. march — the month
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — the month
  22. land — to come down
  23. capital — money
  24. field — for sport

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