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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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. lie — to recline
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. face — to confront
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. season — in sport

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