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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. cap — of ice
  5. face — to confront
  6. field — farmland
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. present — there
  11. current — happening now
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. present — the time now
  16. field — a subject
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. field — for sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cap — a lid

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