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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. roll — a list
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a path
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the sport
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lean — thin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. track — to keep track
  24. straw — a straw man

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