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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to confront
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. face — to point toward
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — part of the head
  10. firm — steady
  11. pop — soda
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cap — a lid
  21. firm — decided
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bass — the fish
  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