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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. face — to confront
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — a contest
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. staff — employees
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — the arms race
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bear — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. leaves — of a tree

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