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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. face — to confront
  6. bound — tied together
  7. face — to point toward
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — for digging
  10. suit — clothes
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — to rip
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bound — certain

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