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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pound — a weight
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. spell — magic
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — to sink
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — in control
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — for digging
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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