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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. face — to confront
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — to breed
  6. tear — from crying
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. nail — for a hammer

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