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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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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: rest · pop · sharp · tear · pass · lie · safe · trunk

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rest — a break
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pop — soda
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — to recline
  24. safe — a strongbox

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