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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hand — in cards
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hand — help
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. deal — to handle
  22. object — to protest
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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