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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pound — a weight
  9. face — to confront
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — all right
  20. rash — a series
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rash — on the skin

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