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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. club — for golf
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — a group
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lean — to bend
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lean — thin

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