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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — to confront
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. face — to point toward
  8. track — to keep track
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mine — for digging
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. press — to push

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