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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. tube — a container
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — all right
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pound — a weight

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