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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.

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: rest · track · file · craft · face · game · dip · lie

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. track — to keep track
  3. craft — a skill
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. file — a document
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — to recline
  18. game — a match
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. file — a tool
  23. face — to confront
  24. game — wild animals

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