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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pop — to visit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rule — a law
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. row — to paddle
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rule — government
  19. pop — music
  20. row — a line
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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