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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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Word bank
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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lie — to recline
  10. date — the fruit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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