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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mate · face · mine · racket · file · hide · bound · wake

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mate — to breed
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — certain
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bound — obliged
  17. face — part of the head
  18. file — a tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — tied together
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. file — a line of people
  24. face — to confront

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