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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · dip · racket · date · spring · squash · lie · band

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spring — of water
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — the season
  9. face — to point toward
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spring — a coil
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — to crush
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. dip — to sink

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