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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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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. tear — to rip
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. tear — from crying
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — a straw man

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