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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 124 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chair — a leader
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. face — to confront
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — part of the head
  18. row — to paddle
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. face — to point toward

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