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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — thin
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. board — a committee
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — a tin

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