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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — happy
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chest — a box
  15. content — the amount
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bear — the animal

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