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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. present — the time now
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — to confront
  23. staff — a stick
  24. nail — on a finger

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