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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: pit · lie · band · fall · stock · face · squash · mark

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pit — a hole
  10. squash — to crush
  11. face — to confront
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — to recline
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fall — the season
  20. band — a ring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a music group
  23. stock — goods
  24. pit — in a race

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