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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: fine · band · foot · face · rush · march

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fine — all right
  12. band — a music group
  13. march — the month
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a ring
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rush — to hurry

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