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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tear — from crying
  3. kid — to tease
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. last — finally
  6. face — to confront
  7. last — final
  8. face — part of the head
  9. last — to go on
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kid — child
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — in control
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. toast — bread
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tear — to rip

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