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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. staff — employees
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bass — low music
  10. kick — in football
  11. face — to point toward
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. face — to confront
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — a stick
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. craft — a skill
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. craft — boats

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