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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of law
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. scale — in music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. march — music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. court — for sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. march — the month
  21. cap — of ice
  22. court — of a king
  23. cap — a lid
  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