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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: face · temple · content · lie · tear · foot · coach · rule

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. face — to confront
  6. tear — from crying
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to point toward
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — the amount
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — to recline
  21. content — happy
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. tear — to rip

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