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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. board — to get on
  7. face — to confront
  8. tear — from crying
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chair — a leader
  12. board — a committee
  13. firm — steady
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — a company
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spell — a short time

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