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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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 — an untruth
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pitch — completely
  24. shower — to wash

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