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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mate — a partner
  3. face — to confront
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ground — a position
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pound — a weight
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. land — to come down
  17. lean — thin
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cap — of ice
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pound — to hit hard

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