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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fine — all right
  4. face — to confront
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — to point toward
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — rain
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pound — to hit hard

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