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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lean — to bend
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — the season

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