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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pound — a weight
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. staff — employees
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — the season
  18. firm — a company
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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