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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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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: dip · straw · face · lie · charge · bound · game · stand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bound — certain
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — in control
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — to point toward
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. charge — electricity
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. charge — a price

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