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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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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: rush · pound · can · stem · face · sharp · chip · land

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. land — ground
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. face — to confront
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chip — for betting
  18. land — a country
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. land — to come down
  21. can — to be able to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

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