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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. game — a match
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. face — to point toward
  6. staff — employees
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — to recline
  10. last — finally
  11. staff — employees
  12. mug — a face
  13. bat — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to confront
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — a thing
  20. staff — a stick
  21. last — final
  22. game — wild animals
  23. object — to protest
  24. lie — an untruth

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