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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.

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: pound · calf · bark · dip · land · face · mug · leaves

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. face — to confront
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. land — ground
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mug — to rob
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — part of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — a face

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