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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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. ground — crushed
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. face — to confront
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cap — of ice
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ground — a position
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — to paddle
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. row — a line
  20. cap — a hat
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — to recline
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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