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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — a path
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — to get on
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — all right
  16. tear — to rip
  17. face — to confront
  18. foot — a measure
  19. board — a committee
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. tear — from crying
  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