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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 120 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: court · bulb · dip · lie · face · rest · arm · tear

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. dip — to sink
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — to recline
  8. court — of law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of a king
  12. tear — from crying
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. face — part of the head
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rest — what's left

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