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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · bound · tear · face · pass · rock · mug · present

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bound — tied together
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — certain
  11. present — there
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to confront
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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