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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mug — a face
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. arm — part of the body
  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