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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. rash — hasty
  4. shower — rain
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. face — to confront
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lie — to recline
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. roll — a list
  12. cell — in biology
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fine — high quality
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. roll — a cake
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rash — a series
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fine — all right
  23. cell — a phone
  24. dip — a sauce

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