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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — the season
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pound — a weight
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. face — to confront
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spring — of water
  14. deal — to handle
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wax — to grow
  20. squash — the sport
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — part of the head

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