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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.

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 · lie · track · craft · racket · band · bark · game

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. face — to point toward
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. face — to confront
  6. game — wild animals
  7. track — a song
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. track — a path
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. craft — a skill
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — to shout
  21. craft — boats
  22. track — to keep track
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. game — a match

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