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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rash — a series
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bass — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. face — to confront
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cell — in biology
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pit — in a race

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