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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. spell — magic
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fall — the season
  9. lean — thin
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — a position
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — the earth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — a tin

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