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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — to go on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pound — a weight
  11. can — to be able to
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. last — final
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. last — finally
  24. stand — for spectators

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