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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: rest · lie · bay · face · suit · snap · cold · fall

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rest — a break
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — not warm
  6. snap — to click
  7. fall — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. face — to confront
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — part of the head
  17. suit — to fit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cold — an illness
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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