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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ground — a position
  3. staff — employees
  4. march — music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ground — the earth
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. snap — to click
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pound — a weight
  23. staff — a stick
  24. march — the month

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