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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — in football
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mate — a friend
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — a grade
  13. land — a country
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — a trace
  17. land — ground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. land — to come down

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