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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: pitcher · fine · drill · face · kid · band · lie · bear

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — a practice
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — army training
  13. face — part of the head
  14. band — a ring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fine — all right
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a rubber band

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