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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — to confront
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a music group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. band — a ring
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. field — a subject

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