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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — to come down
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. land — ground
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — to recline
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to point toward
  13. land — a country
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. face — part of the head
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rock — music

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