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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tear — to rip
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. face — to confront
  9. object — a thing
  10. firm — decided
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. object — to protest
  16. firm — a company
  17. court — of a king
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — a lid
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hand — help
  23. tear — from crying
  24. hand — in cards

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