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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — ground
  16. pound — a weight
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. land — a country
  20. ground — a position
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ground — crushed
  24. vault — a safe

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