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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: tear · club · wave · pass · fall · present · lie · ruler

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. club — for golf
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — a permit
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — a gift

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