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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. file — a document
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tear — to rip
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rule — government
  9. court — of a king
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tear — from crying
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of law
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rule — a law
  20. firm — steady
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. court — for sport
  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