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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — to confront
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pop — soda
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a face
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mug — to rob
  15. face — to point toward
  16. snap — to click
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bore — to drill

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