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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — to recline
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. chest — a box
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — for betting
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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