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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. face — to confront
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  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