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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pound — a weight
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — a break
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pound — for dogs

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