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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: lie · land · bore · file · face · toast · stand · straw

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to confront
  7. toast — bread
  8. file — a tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. file — a document
  11. face — to point toward
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lie — to recline
  14. face — part of the head
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. land — a country
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. land — ground
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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