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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — low music
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — of a river
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the fish
  10. content — the amount
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. hand — in cards
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. deal — to handle
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hand — help

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