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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: lie · stock · pound · march · saw · dip · lean · face

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lean — to bend
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lie — to recline
  24. dip — a sauce

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