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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cap — of ice
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. face — to confront
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cap — a hat

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