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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: tear · face · swing · foot · mine · pit · bank · leaves

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — to point toward
  4. swing — in golf
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tear — to rip
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. foot — the bottom

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