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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. face — part of the head
  4. pass — a permit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to click
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hand — help
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rush — hurry

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