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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lean — to bend
  10. land — a country
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — ground
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pound — a weight
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lie — an untruth

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