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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. face — to confront
  3. rock — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. rock — a stone
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — a price
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — for dogs

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