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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. board — to get on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. face — to confront
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bore — to tire

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