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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. face — to confront
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — a thing
  16. rock — music
  17. object — an aim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — part of the head
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rock — to move gently

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