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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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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 · nail · file · board · stock · kid · face · can

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lie — to recline
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — shares
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — child
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. can — to be able to
  20. board — a committee
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kid — to tease

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