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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cue — for pool
  3. band — a music group
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rash — a series
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. roll — a list
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rash — hasty
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fall — the season
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. band — a ring

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