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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 120 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: pitcher · staff · face · lie · lash · can · stock · wake

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — goods
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — shares
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — a tin
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — to point toward
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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