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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — a price
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. charge — in control
  13. swing — in golf
  14. snap — to click
  15. face — to point toward
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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