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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pop — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — the underground
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hand — in cards

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