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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.

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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: present · pop · track · saw · face · band · cue · lie

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pop — soda
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. track — a song
  8. face — part of the head
  9. present — there
  10. face — to confront
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. band — a ring
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. band — a music group
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — a path
  23. face — to point toward
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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