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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chip — to eat
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — all right
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — there
  13. fall — the season
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — thin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — for dogs

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