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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
468
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: date · mine · file · shower · stick · racket · lie · face

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. file — a line of people
  4. shower — rain
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. face — part of the head
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. file — a document
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. date — the fruit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — for digging
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — to confront

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