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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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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: roll · face · cabinet · scale · rest · swing · pound · bear

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. scale — in music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — size or range
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — a list
  24. pound — a weight

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