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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — to breed
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kid — to tease
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — child
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rule — to rule out

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