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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. court — of law
  6. tear — from crying
  7. court — of a king
  8. tear — to rip
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — for sport
  19. pit — in a race
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — a supporter

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