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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: saw · can · tear · hide · mark · pass · face · rule

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pass — a permit
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. face — to confront
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. face — part of the head
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rule — government
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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