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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: mine · face · bore · lie · nail · season · bound · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. tear — from crying
  9. face — to confront
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — certain
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. season — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tear — from crying
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — of the year
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bound — obliged
  24. face — part of the head

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