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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mate — a partner
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lean — to bend
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — thin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to click
  24. mate — to breed

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