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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — a group
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. club — for dancing
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. face — to confront
  22. club — for golf
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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