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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — there
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — the time now
  5. last — finally
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — final
  9. present — a gift
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. last — to go on
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fall — the season
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — an injury

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