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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kid — child
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. spring — the season
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — of water
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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