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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: face · ruler · spring · tear · staff · present

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — the season
  4. present — the time now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — there
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. staff — employees
  10. tear — from crying
  11. staff — a stick
  12. present — a gift
  13. face — to point toward
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — to rip
  16. spring — of water
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head

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