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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lie — to recline
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. net — for catching
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — in sport
  12. clip — a video
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — after costs
  15. stock — shares
  16. face — part of the head
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  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