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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — a trail
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. face — to point toward
  9. drill — army training
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. snap — to click
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. face — to confront
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — a practice
  19. face — part of the head
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. stand — to bear
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — government

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