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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tear — from crying
  5. march — music
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. march — the month
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — a measure
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tear — to rip
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — to confront
  17. tear — from crying
  18. foot — the bottom

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