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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.

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: swing · pop · wave · date · temple · face · bound · pound

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pop — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bound — obliged
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pop — to visit
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bound — certain
  22. pop — soda
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pound — for dogs

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