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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: face · lie · nail · wake · band · bowl · bass · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — low music
  3. band — a music group
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — part of the head
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. face — to point toward
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — a dish

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