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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · net · ruler · pass · tear · coach

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — to rip
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cell — a phone
  8. net — for catching
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cell — in a prison

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