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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lean — thin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — there
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. march — music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to confront
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mark — a trace

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