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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. present — there
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — government
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lean — thin
  12. object — to protest
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rule — a law
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — an aim

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