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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. face — to confront
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. cue — a signal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — final
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — thin
  20. hand — help
  21. fall — the season
  22. hand — in cards
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fall — to drop

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