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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rash — a series
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. clip — a video
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. march — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — to lash out

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