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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. band — a music group
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. date — the fruit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kick — in football
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — to recline

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