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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — to bend
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — a tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mark — a grade
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pound — a weight
  23. ground — the earth
  24. kick — with a leg

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