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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.

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: scale · land · pound · saw · hide · face · mate · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. face — part of the head
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mate — a partner
  22. land — to come down
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — animal skin

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