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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 120 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: tear · rest · plane · mark · leaves · face · straw · lie

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — a break
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — from crying
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lie — to recline
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tear — to rip

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