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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chest — a box
  11. face — part of the head
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kid — child
  14. pop — soda
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — the animal

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