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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: club · face · rush · ball · lie · can · mine · stock

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stock — goods
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. club — for golf
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. face — to confront
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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