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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — letters
  4. pound — a weight
  5. clip — a video
  6. firm — steady
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — rain
  18. clip — for paper
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. clip — to cut
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. shower — to wash

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