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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. face — to confront
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rush — hurry
  18. suit — clothes
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wind — moving air

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