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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. rest — a break
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bore — to drill
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pound — a weight
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. face — to confront
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — to tire
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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