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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: face · mug · pitcher · pound · bulb · chest · rash · cell

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — to confront
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. chest — a box
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mug — a face
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bulb — for light

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