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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. last — to go on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. last — finally
  10. face — to point toward
  11. last — final
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — to recline
  17. face — to confront
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — for digging

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