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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — certain
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pound — to hit hard

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