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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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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 · club · patient · pound · rest · rock · snap · net

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for dancing
  4. face — to confront
  5. club — for golf
  6. face — part of the head
  7. snap — to click
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. rest — a break
  19. rock — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rock — to move gently

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