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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: snap · lie · rest · bulb · face · mark · bear · cabinet

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to click

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