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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — a hole
  8. swing — in golf
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pit — in a race
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. swing — music
  14. face — part of the head
  15. swing — to play on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. face — to confront
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. face — to point toward

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