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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. last — final
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mate — to breed
  8. object — to protest
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. object — a thing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. object — an aim
  15. foot — a measure
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — to go on
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — letters
  23. lean — thin
  24. safe — out of danger

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