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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a music group
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — part of the head
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — to confront
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. face — to point toward
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hand — in cards
  24. board — a committee

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