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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
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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 · lie · march · board · cue · lean · date · lash

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — a committee
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. march — the month
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — for pool
  17. board — to get on
  18. cue — a hint
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cue — a signal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — thin

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