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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — to recline
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. bat — in an idiom

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