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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: face · date · wake · tear · pitcher · lie · bowl · charge

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — to point toward
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. face — part of the head
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — to recline
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — a price
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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