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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rule — government
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. can — to be able to
  17. face — to confront
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. chest — a box
  23. rule — a law
  24. chest — of your body

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