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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — a weight
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. net — for catching
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. key — in music
  24. net — after costs

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