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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. lie — to recline
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — to point toward

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