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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spell — letters
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bound — tied together
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — in control
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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