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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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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: spring · last · spell · cap · rash · lie · face · cue

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rash — a series
  4. spell — magic
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spring — the season
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. face — to confront
  16. last — finally
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spell — letters
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — a short time
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spring — a coil

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