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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. track — a path
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a music group
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — a publisher
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. pound — a weight
  21. track — a song
  22. press — to push
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. press — newspapers

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