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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lean — thin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — all right
  11. firm — steady
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. firm — decided
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tube — a container
  24. lean — to rest against

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