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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — a company
  8. object — a thing
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. object — an aim
  16. firm — decided
  17. face — part of the head
  18. object — to protest
  19. firm — steady
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. face — to point toward

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