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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. face — to point toward
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — to rip
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. face — to confront
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. bark — to shout
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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