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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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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: file · jam · cap · land · lie · suit · face · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. land — ground
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lie — to recline
  5. land — to come down
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a lid
  8. face — to confront
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to point toward
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. face — part of the head
  14. land — a country
  15. cap — of ice
  16. file — a tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a document
  24. cap — a hat

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