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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ball — a dance
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chest — a box
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. face — to confront
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lean — thin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — to bend
  24. plane — an aircraft

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