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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mug — to rob
  5. face — to confront
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cap — of ice
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pop — soda
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mug — a cup
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. present — the time now
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — a gift
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. present — there
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pop — to visit

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