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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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