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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. pass — a permit
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lie — to recline
  24. charge — electricity

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