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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bound — obliged
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. face — to confront
  24. bound — certain

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