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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bank — for money
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hand — help

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