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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 116 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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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: mouse · face · swing · sharp · game · bowl · bay · lie

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — wild animals
  5. face — part of the head
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — a match
  24. face — to confront

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