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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bank — for money
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lie — to recline
  13. scale — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — a measure
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pass — to spend time

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