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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. file — a document
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kick — in football
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tear — from crying
  21. content — happy
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tear — to rip

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