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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tear — from crying
  4. last — finally
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — a signal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. last — final
  16. plane — a tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. last — to go on
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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