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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.

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: file · date · face · lie · foot · lash · hand · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — help
  13. mate — a partner
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a document
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — part of the head

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