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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. squash — the sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — to confront
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mouse — the animal

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