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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — to confront
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. band — a music group
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. march — music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — rain
  19. face — to point toward
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. present — a gift
  22. shower — to wash
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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