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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rule — government
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. face — to confront
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. kick — in football
  11. board — a committee
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. face — part of the head
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rule — a law
  19. ground — the earth
  20. board — to get on
  21. rush — hurry
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ground — a position

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