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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. court — of a king
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. court — for sport
  6. snap — to click
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rest — what's left
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of law
  15. date — the fruit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rest — what's left
  19. face — to confront
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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