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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kid — child
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. tear — to rip
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — music
  7. kid — to tease
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — a stone
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — to bear
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. face — to confront
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — a place of worship

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