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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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. bowl — to roll
  4. lie — to recline
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. face — to confront
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. arm — a part of something

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