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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. track — a path
  13. mug — a face
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mug — to rob
  19. track — a song
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rock — a stone

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