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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — in music
  9. face — to confront
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. suit — to fit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hand — help
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — of a bank

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