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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — in music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — of water
  11. track — a path
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — to keep track
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. face — part of the head
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — electric
  20. track — a song
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. current — happening now
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — in a road

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