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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · cabinet · rush · present · fork · face · tear · rock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. present — there
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — a gift
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — the time now
  21. fork — in a road
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — to hurry

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