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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: face · firm · dip · arm · lie · fan · saw · scale

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lie — to recline
  11. dip — to sink
  12. firm — steady
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. face — to point toward
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. firm — decided
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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