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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: rush · bore · mark · safe · club · face · lie · land

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bore — to drill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — to tire
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. club — a group
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — a country
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lie — to recline
  24. land — ground

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