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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. key — for a lock
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lean — thin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cell — a phone
  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