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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mine — for digging
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lie — an untruth

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