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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. present — there
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. present — the time now
  9. face — to confront
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bound — tied together
  13. club — for golf
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. present — a gift
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. club — a group
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lie — an untruth

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