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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bear · lie · mug · key · dip · rest · face · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. key — in music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. face — part of the head
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mug — a face
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — a break

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