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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. march — music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. march — the month
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lean — thin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — to sink
  18. straw — a straw man

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