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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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 — to rip
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — a box
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — from crying
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. fine — all right
  23. march — music
  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