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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: rash · pop · bore · fine · hand · face · mine · scale

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. scale — in music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hand — help
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — to confront
  23. pop — soda
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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