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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 · sharp · club · wound · prune · chest · lie · face

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — a group
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — part of the head
  9. prune — to trim
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — of your body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chest — a box
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. face — to confront

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