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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 · ground · pitcher · band · lie · bear · toast · leaves

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. band — a music group
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. band — a ring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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