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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. land — to come down
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. land — ground
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. last — final
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — to recline
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. face — to point toward
  24. last — to go on

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