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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. kid — child
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to confront
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wind — moving air
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. swing — music
  24. pound — a weight

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