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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. tear — to rip
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. band — a music group
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a ring
  18. face — to confront
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — a trainer

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