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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · tube · hand · wave · date · temple · lie · face

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. file — a tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tube — a container
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — in cards

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