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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: bear · fine · pit · rest · cap · lie · face · chest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chest — a box
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fine — all right
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rest — a break

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