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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — in football
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — with a leg

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