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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. object — an aim
  3. pound — a weight
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rule — a law
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — to protest

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