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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rock — music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — to recline
  15. present — there
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to confront
  18. present — the time now
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rest — a break
  21. tear — from crying
  22. present — a gift
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. degree — temperature

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