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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: wound · lie · rock · club · mug · face · sharp · present

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. present — a gift
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. mug — a cup
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — a face
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. present — the time now
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. present — there
  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