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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — thin
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. face — to confront
  11. game — a match
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. face — part of the head
  15. capital — a city
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bass — low music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. foot — a measure
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lie — to recline

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