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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. drill — a practice
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — government
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — army training
  18. lean — thin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — to sink
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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