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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. race — humankind
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. rule — government
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — a law
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — part of the head
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mate — a partner
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a friend

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