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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: tube · bowl · straw · drill · mark · face · pound · pop

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pop — music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pop — soda
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — dry grass

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