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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: lean · safe · land · pass · rule · nail · tear · fall

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. tear — from crying
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. land — to come down
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — a law
  20. fall — the season
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — government

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