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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tear — from crying
  3. dip — to sink
  4. snap — to click
  5. can — a tin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — wild animals
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — to be able to
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — a path
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tear — to rip
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — a song
  24. safe — out of danger

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