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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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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: pass · foot · bank · lie · land · band · tear · face

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. land — a country
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — a measure
  15. land — to come down
  16. tear — to rip
  17. face — to confront
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a ring
  24. lie — an untruth

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