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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. stock — shares
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — the cause
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. face — part of the head
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stock — goods
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rest — a break
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  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