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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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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: fall · face · cabinet · mate · bound · lash · fine · stick

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fall — the season
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. face — to confront
  23. fall — to drop
  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