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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mug — a face
  6. stand — to bear
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. charge — in control
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — to point toward
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — to confront
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — child
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. charge — electricity

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