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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cap — of ice
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rock — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. scale — in music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ball — a dance

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