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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tear — to rip
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — the time now
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — there
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. present — a gift
  24. bowl — a football final

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