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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stem — to come from
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mug — to rob
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — the amount
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lie — to recline
  24. prune — to trim

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