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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bat — the animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bat — in an idiom

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