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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. swing — to play on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — part of the head
  9. content — the amount
  10. tear — to rip
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. swing — in golf
  20. content — happy
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — from crying

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