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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cell — in biology
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — steady
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — army training
  10. firm — decided
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wind — moving air
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. firm — a company
  24. cell — in a prison

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