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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: sharp · chest · tube · face · firm · pound · wave · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pound — a weight
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — decided
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. firm — steady
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chest — a box
  16. tube — the underground
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — a company
  23. chest — of your body
  24. dip — to dunk

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