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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — to handle
  8. face — to point toward
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. staff — employees
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. board — to get on
  23. tear — to rip
  24. dip — to sink

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