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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — money
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. face — to confront
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. object — to protest
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. object — a thing
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mine — for digging
  23. capital — a city
  24. object — an aim

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