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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: ground · lie · ruler · face · chest · net · date · coach

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — to point toward
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — to recline
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — after costs
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — in sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chest — a box
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ruler — for measuring

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