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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · safe · bass · face · cold · pound · foot · lean

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cold — an illness
  8. spell — magic
  9. cold — not warm
  10. face — to point toward
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — to confront
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bass — the fish

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