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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chip — for betting
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — to get on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. board — a committee
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — rain
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — in a race

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