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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 124 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spring — of water
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — the season
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — to hit hard

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