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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — part of the head
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — all right
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tear — to rip
  9. last — final
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. band — a music group
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. band — a ring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lie — to recline
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — high quality

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