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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 120 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: face · sharp · bay · wave · cabinet · tear · craft · deal

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. sharp — clever
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tear — to rip
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. face — to confront
  8. tear — from crying
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. craft — a skill
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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