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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. march — the month
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. last — finally
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. face — to point toward
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to confront
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — final
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tear — from crying
  22. face — part of the head
  23. row — a line
  24. bay — a horse colour

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