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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pound — a weight
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — a company
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rock — a stone
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — money
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. firm — decided
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — music
  23. firm — steady
  24. stand — on your feet

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