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

Word bank: board · chest · pound · bay · face · bear · pit · rest

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. board — to get on
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. pit — in a race
  19. chest — a box
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rest — a break
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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