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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. net — for catching
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. present — the time now
  7. club — a group
  8. present — there
  9. net — after costs
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — bread
  12. face — to confront
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. last — to go on
  16. club — for golf
  17. net — in sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — finally
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tear — from crying
  22. last — final
  23. present — a gift
  24. face — part of the head

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