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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. firm — decided
  8. content — happy
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fall — the season
  11. kick — in football
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. mark — a trace
  15. content — the amount
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — videos and posts

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