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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — final
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. face — to point toward
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — to sink
  20. face — to confront
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. face — part of the head
  24. last — finally

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