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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — a grade
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to confront
  8. band — a ring
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — to point toward
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pound — a weight

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