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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. face — part of the head
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — to point toward
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — soda
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. pop — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. object — a thing
  20. face — to confront
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — a division

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