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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pop — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — soda
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cabinet — ministers

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