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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: cell · nail · pass · cue · mate · bound · tear · bat

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bound — certain
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tear — to rip

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