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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — to confront
  18. ball — a dance
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — all right
  23. tear — from crying
  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