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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — a container
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tube — the underground
  15. charge — a price
  16. face — to confront
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cap — of ice
  21. charge — in control
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — a sauce

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