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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: mug · track · hand · bulb · rest · saw · pound · face

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rest — a break
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — a song
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — help
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — a weight
  16. track — a path
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hand — in cards

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