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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — to point toward
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ground — a position
  7. season — in sport
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. sharp — clever
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — to confront
  24. bank — for money

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