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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: rest · rock · pass · tear · kid · lie · cold · firm

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rock — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. firm — decided
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. firm — a company

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