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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: wake · file · face · pound · bay · hide · kick · cell

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — a phone
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. file — a document
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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