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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · mug · scale · bay · face · chair · lie · trunk

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. face — to point toward
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spring — the season
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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