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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: bay · pass · hand · present · rule · tear · cap · nail

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hand — in cards
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — government
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cap — a hat
  13. present — there
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. present — the time now
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — help
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rule — a law
  20. present — a gift
  21. pass — a permit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to succeed
  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