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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tear — to rip
  7. suit — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — part of the head
  21. current — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. row — a line
  24. cabinet — ministers

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