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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: mate · lie · deal · fan · face · club · prune · rock

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. club — for dancing
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — to handle
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rock — a stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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