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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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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: straw · craft · pitch · face · land · rest · pound · dip

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. craft — boats
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rest — what's left
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. land — a country
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — part of the head
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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