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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. band — a ring
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cap — a lid
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — to paddle
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. band — a music group

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