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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 · saw · mate · face · content · bear · suit · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. content — the amount
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — clothes
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — happy
  21. mate — to breed
  22. face — to point toward
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mate — a friend

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