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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: can · face · sharp · lash · mine · rule · ball · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a great time
  3. present — a gift
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. can — to be able to
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rule — government
  19. present — the time now
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. face — to confront
  24. rule — a law

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