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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lean — to bend
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lean — thin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bat — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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