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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fine — all right
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spring — the season
  11. court — of law
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. face — part of the head
  22. court — of a king
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to confront

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