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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: lean · pound · jam · fine · mark · face · saw · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — high quality
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. face — to confront
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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