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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bound — certain

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