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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: mouse · stock · face · lean · lie · march · key · date

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. face — to confront
  2. stock — shares
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lean — to bend
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — goods
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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