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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — all right
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cap — a hat
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lie — to recline
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — a break
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. club — a group
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — a lid
  24. club — for golf

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