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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: can · face · present · racket · fine · kick · mark · tear

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — in football
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. present — there
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. present — the time now
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — to confront
  21. present — a gift
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. face — to point toward

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