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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
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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: lie · face · craft · toast · bound · file · leaves · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. craft — a skill
  6. face — to confront
  7. toast — bread
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a line of people
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. craft — boats
  12. file — a document
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lie — to recline
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — finally
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — to go on

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