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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. toast — bread
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. kick — in football
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bat — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. content — happy

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