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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 120 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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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 · deal · rest · mouse · tube · bay · mate · fall

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — a break
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mouse — the animal

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