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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — thin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rash — a series
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cap — a hat

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