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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 116 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: key · land · rush · can · lie · sharp · fan · face

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — ground
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — to recline
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — a country
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. land — to come down
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — a tin

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