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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — to confront
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cap — a lid
  10. field — for sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — to come down
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. toast — bread
  21. land — a country
  22. field — a subject
  23. land — ground
  24. field — farmland

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