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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 bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mate — a friend
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — to breed
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — part of the head
  16. land — a country
  17. ball — a dance
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. land — to come down
  21. face — to confront
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spell — letters

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