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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 · mouse · date · fall · net · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hand — help
  4. net — after costs
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. face — to confront
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. net — in sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. face — to point toward
  15. net — for catching
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fall — the season
  18. mouse — the animal

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