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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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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. face — part of the head
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. file — a tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. file — a line of people
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a document
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. face — to point toward
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — to confront
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — of a river
  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