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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. march — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — size or range
  16. net — in sport
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. face — part of the head
  20. net — for catching
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. face — to confront
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. net — after costs

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