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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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Word bank
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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: rule · spell · tear · firm · straw · pass

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — letters
  3. rule — government
  4. firm — steady
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spell — magic
  7. tear — to rip
  8. firm — decided
  9. tear — from crying
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — a company
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rule — a law
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit

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