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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 116 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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rock — a stone
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — a break
  16. cap — a hat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — of ice
  21. land — ground
  22. rock — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pound — a weight

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