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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chip — for betting
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pound — a weight
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — from crying
  9. face — to point toward
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. face — to confront
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. can — a tin

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