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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bound — obliged
  3. tear — from crying
  4. key — the most important part
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bound — certain
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — in music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stock — shares
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — a phone
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — tied together
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. stock — a soup base

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