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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: rule · lie · last · lean · face · toast · capital · hide

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lie — to recline
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — finally
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. toast — bread
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. capital — a city

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