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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 124 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 bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kid — child
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — in control
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. tear — from crying
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. roll — a list
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kid — to tease
  19. charge — a price
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. roll — a cake

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