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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. season — in sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. season — of the year
  6. pound — a weight
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. face — to confront
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. face — part of the head
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mark — a trace
  20. squash — the sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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