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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — to confront
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. band — a ring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. face — to point toward
  24. dip — to sink

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