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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · wave · lean · dip · wind · spell · face · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spell — magic
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lean — to bend
  7. face — to confront
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — letters
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pit — a hole
  24. dip — to dunk

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