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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. face — to point toward
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. board — to get on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. face — to confront
  19. firm — decided
  20. face — part of the head
  21. firm — steady
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a committee

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