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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — to confront
  23. kid — child
  24. kick — a thrill

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