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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mark — a trace
  5. board — a committee
  6. face — to point toward
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — to confront
  12. board — to get on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. band — a music group
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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