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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — low music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — to recline
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — to confront

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