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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tear — to rip
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pass — a permit
  7. content — the amount
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tear — from crying
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. snap — to click
  14. content — happy
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — a safe
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. squash — to crush

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