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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pop — soda
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tear — from crying
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — all right
  22. track — a path
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fall — the season

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