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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — a break
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tear — from crying
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — in football
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. face — to confront

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