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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.

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: face · cap · court · bay · foot · game · saw · lie

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of a king
  12. cap — of ice
  13. court — of law
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — to recline
  17. court — for sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — to confront
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — a measure
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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