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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: ruler · mark · face · content · tear · bulb · season · cap

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. season — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cap — a lid
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bulb — for light
  15. season — of the year
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — happy
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to point toward

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