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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: fine · lash · arm · face · pound · wind · wake · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fine — all right
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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