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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: lean · row · roll · mate · face · suit · lie · rest

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. face — to confront
  12. mate — a partner
  13. suit — to fit
  14. roll — a list
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. suit — in cards
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rest — a break
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. row — a line

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