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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pound — a weight
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — hasty
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — a series
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — part of the head
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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