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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — a thing
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — a line
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. jam — in traffic

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