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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bound — tied together
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bound — obliged
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tear — from crying
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bass — low music
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — a signal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. clip — a video
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — clever
  24. face — to confront

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