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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: coach · bat · lean · tear · rule · pass · dip · fork

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bat — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — to bend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lean — thin

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