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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — to push
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bound — certain
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wind — to turn a key

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