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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. face — to confront

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