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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: roll · spring · racket · pass · face · bay · tear · firm

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. face — to confront
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. firm — decided
  11. roll — a list
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. firm — a company
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tear — to rip
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. firm — steady
  24. pass — a permit

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