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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — from crying
  3. court — of a king
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — to breed
  10. court — of law
  11. current — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. tear — to rip
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — the cause
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. court — for sport
  21. face — to confront
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — a friend
  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