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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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Word bank
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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: pop · club · tear · rule · rock · object · lean · pass

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lean — thin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rule — a law
  6. object — to protest
  7. tear — from crying
  8. club — for golf
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rule — government
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. object — an aim
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tear — to rip
  21. club — a group
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — music
  24. rock — a stone

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