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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — a match
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bound — certain
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rest — a break
  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