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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: nail · lie · face · club · sharp · season · deal · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — for golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — government
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to confront
  24. nail — on a finger

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