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

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cap — a hat
  3. content — happy
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — the amount
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cap — a lid
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — thin
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lie — to recline
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lie — an untruth

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