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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · tear · leaves · toast · cabinet · face

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. 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. toast — the most admired
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. toast — bread
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — to confront
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wind — moving air
  18. 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