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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. lie — an untruth
  4. content — happy
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — boats
  11. stand — to bear
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ball — a dance
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. season — in sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ball — a great time
  24. snap — to click

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