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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fall — the season
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — what's left
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — to handle
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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