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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: face · fork · mug · wound · pitcher · can · jam · lean

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. mug — a face
  6. can — to be able to
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lean — thin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — to eat with

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