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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: lie · rest · chest · row · march · face · mug · track

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a song
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rest — a break
  9. march — music
  10. mug — a face
  11. face — to confront
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a path
  15. chest — a box
  16. row — a line
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — to rob
  22. march — the month
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chest — of your body

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