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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — there
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tear — to rip
  6. staff — a stick
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. suit — clothes
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — the time now
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — a gift
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — in cards

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