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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. face — to point toward
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rock — a stone
  11. track — a path
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rock — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. face — to confront
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — to keep track
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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