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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — a permit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lie — to recline
  12. band — a ring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cap — a hat
  18. face — to confront
  19. shower — rain
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cap — of ice

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