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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — a committee
  3. tear — to rip
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. season — in sport
  7. march — the month
  8. lean — to bend
  9. march — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lean — thin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. face — to confront
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — of the year
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tear — from crying

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