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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: ruler · date · wave · bear · face · stock · lie · mate

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. face — to point toward
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. face — to confront
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mate — a friend
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lie — to recline
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — for measuring

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