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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — soda
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. face — to confront
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chest — a box
  20. face — to point toward
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — to recline

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