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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
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: lie · can · game · wave · clip · rash · face · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. clip — a video
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. clip — to cut
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. game — a match
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — to recline
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — hasty
  24. face — to point toward

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