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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 120 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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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 · stick · wind · lie · suit · bat · face · fine

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fine — all right
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — to recline
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bat — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. suit — in cards

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