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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: charge · ruler · stock · track · lie · face · mark · mate

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. track — a path
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — goods
  11. mate — a partner
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. charge — in control
  21. face — part of the head
  22. charge — electricity
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lie — to recline

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