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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — in a road
  3. shower — rain
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — shares
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stock — goods
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rest — a break

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