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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fall — to drop
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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