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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — a grade
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lean — to bend
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — thin
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. dip — to sink

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