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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: lie · face · game · chair · tear · foot · present · last

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chair — a leader
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. face — part of the head
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. game — a match
  20. foot — a measure
  21. present — the time now
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. last — final
  24. face — to confront

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