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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.

Make a worksheet

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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. face — to confront
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. last — to go on
  9. current — of water
  10. last — finally
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tear — to rip
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — to shout
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — electric
  22. last — final
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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