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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kid — to tease
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to click
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — the season
  14. kid — child
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — to confront
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lie — to recline
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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