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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pound — a weight
  4. snap — to click
  5. face — to point toward
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. firm — decided
  10. face — to confront
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — a trace
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. firm — a company
  24. lean — thin

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