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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — steady
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — decided
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — bread
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tear — to rip
  23. firm — a company
  24. mouse — the animal

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