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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 124 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — a short time
  4. face — to confront
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. firm — a company
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. firm — decided
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spell — magic

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