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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 · mine · craft · band · present · mug · club · lie

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — a group
  14. face — part of the head
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. face — to point toward
  17. present — the time now
  18. club — for golf
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lie — to recline
  21. band — a music group
  22. craft — a skill
  23. face — to confront
  24. mug — to rob

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