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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a dance
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. content — the amount
  11. tear — from crying
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. net — for catching
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ball — a great time
  18. net — in sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. content — happy
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — after costs
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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