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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — to sink
  5. snap — to click
  6. bound — certain
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pop — soda
  17. bound — obliged
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pop — music
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  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