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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kick — in football
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. plane — a tool
  9. face — to confront
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rash — a series
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fan — a supporter

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