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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.

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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: pound · mouse · face · temple · mark · pitcher · lean · wind

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lean — thin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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