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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wake — a trail
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bear — the animal

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