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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. staff — employees
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — the season
  16. mark — a trace
  17. staff — a stick
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — a break
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — an eyelash

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