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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: bay · lie · face · bulb · fork · saw · stand · march

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stand — to bear
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. march — the month
  10. fork — in a road
  11. march — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — on your feet
  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