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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: suit · tear · ruler · bear · bank · toast · bat · face

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. face — to confront
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bank — for money
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. tear — to rip
  9. face — part of the head
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. toast — bread

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