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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: face · band · lash · mug · pop · mate · present · plane

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. face — part of the head
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mug — a face
  13. band — a music group
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — a friend
  16. present — the time now
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — there
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mug — to rob

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