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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — a gift
  6. last — finally
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — final
  9. race — the arms race
  10. present — the time now
  11. pop — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. race — a contest
  19. last — to go on
  20. present — there
  21. pop — to visit
  22. race — humankind
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pop — soda

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