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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
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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: net · cap · bay · lean · face · current · chest · lie

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — a box
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — for catching
  10. chest — of your body
  11. net — in sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to confront
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. current — happening now
  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