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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. face — to point toward
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to confront
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cabinet — ministers

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