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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 · pop · rest · tear · lean · rock · staff · key

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rest — a break
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. key — for a lock
  22. staff — a stick
  23. key — in music
  24. rock — a stone

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