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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — a weight
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rock — a stone
  20. race — humankind
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — the arms race
  24. plane — in geometry

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