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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cell — a phone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to confront
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. squash — the sport
  23. face — part of the head
  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