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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.

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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: dip · lie · band · foot · root · club · fine · face

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. face — to point toward
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. root — the cause
  12. lie — to recline
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a plant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. dip — to sink
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. club — a group

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