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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: band · bay · lie · pound · face · rash · current · foot

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a ring
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. band — a music group
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — hasty
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rash — a series
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. current — of water
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — electric

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