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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — high quality
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — all right
  23. degree — from a university
  24. safe — a strongbox

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