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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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 — to rip
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — to confront
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — soda
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. club — a group
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bore — to tire
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pop — to visit

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