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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a great time
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. march — the month
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cell — a phone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. march — the month

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