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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bark — to shout
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pound — a weight
  17. charge — electricity
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to confront
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. charge — a price
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. march — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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