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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rash — a series
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. capital — money
  23. rock — music
  24. rash — hasty

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