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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mine — for digging
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. game — wild animals
  16. deal — to handle
  17. face — to confront
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. game — a match
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pound — a weight

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