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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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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: lie · snap · wake · suit · chest · rush · tear · face

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chest — of your body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chest — a box
  10. rush — hurry
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chest — of your body
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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