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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bass — low music
  7. mine — for digging
  8. kick — in football
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. face — to confront
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. kick — a thrill

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