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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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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: toast · lie · wave · pitcher · face · temple · stick · bank

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — of a river
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. toast — bread
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — part of the head

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