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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: bound · lash · pass · stand · stick · last · face · tear

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. face — to confront
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. last — to go on
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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