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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: lie · roll · fine · lean · ground · face · mate · tube

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — all right
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — high quality
  16. tube — a container
  17. ground — crushed
  18. roll — a list
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ground — a position

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