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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. charge — in control
  6. clip — for paper
  7. firm — steady
  8. clip — a video
  9. charge — electricity
  10. firm — a company
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a grade
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — to rip
  17. firm — decided
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lie — to recline
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a trace

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