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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — thin
  4. spring — the season
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — magic
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — of water
  19. spell — a short time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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