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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: wave · face · fall · mate · content · leaves · lie · file

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — part of the head
  5. file — a document
  6. mate — to breed
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. file — a tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. content — happy
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. content — the amount
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mate — a friend

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