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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. firm — steady
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a dance
  18. firm — a company
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tube — the underground
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — to shout
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — to sink

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