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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — a price
  5. object — an aim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. object — a thing
  13. firm — decided
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. firm — a company
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pound — a weight

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