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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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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: track · dip · ground · lie · bore · arm · date · face

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a path
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — a position
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — the fruit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — the earth
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — part of the head
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. track — a song
  19. bore — to drill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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