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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: pop · face · cap · ruler · foot · lie · bass · fork

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bass — low music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pop — soda
  24. fork — in a road

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