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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mine — for digging
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bound — certain
  22. firm — decided
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wax — for sculpting

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