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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: pass · fork · capital · saw · face · hide · pound · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. face — to confront
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fork — in a road
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. capital — a city
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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