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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: fall · pop · pound · sharp · mark · face · pit · wake

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. sharp — clever
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — to confront
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a grade
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wake — a trail

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