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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. roll — a list
  6. tube — a container
  7. face — to point toward
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tube — the underground
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. shower — rain
  24. lie — to recline

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