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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of law
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. face — to confront
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — of a king
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — of a tree

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