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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — completely
  6. track — a path
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a song
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. net — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — after costs
  16. rest — a break
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. net — for catching
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rest — what's left

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