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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. club — a group
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pound — a weight
  10. face — part of the head
  11. firm — a company
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. club — for golf
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — for dancing

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