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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tear — from crying
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tear — to rip
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tube — a container
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — to point toward
  18. board — to get on
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — from crying
  24. face — to confront

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