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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. track — a song
  4. chest — a box
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — for pool
  9. march — the month
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — to protest
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. track — a path
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — a thing
  18. track — to keep track
  19. press — to push
  20. object — an aim
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cue — a hint

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