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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 120 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: stand · march · tear · craft · pass · rule · fall · safe

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. 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. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — a law
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rule — government
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. march — the month
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fall — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. 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