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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. present — a gift
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. roll — a list
  11. present — there
  12. pop — soda
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a cake
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fall — the season
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — a line
  23. pop — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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