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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. last — final
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — to go on
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bore — to tire
  23. face — to confront
  24. branch — of a tree

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