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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. face — to confront
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — letters
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spell — a short time
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — magic
  23. fall — the season
  24. wind — to turn a key

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