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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lie — to recline
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — in music
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rash — a series
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — an untruth

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