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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: jam · net · pound · wound · last · fine · lie · face

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — a weight
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. face — to confront
  13. net — for catching
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. last — finally
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. net — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wound — an injury

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