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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — farmland
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — a subject
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rest — a break
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline

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