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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. face — to confront
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — a list
  6. face — part of the head
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pound — a weight
  9. face — to point toward
  10. board — a committee
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. board — a flat piece

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