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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: lie · stick · ground · mine · tear · plane · wind · pass

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lie — to recline

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