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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pound — a weight
  6. roll — a list
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. snap — to click
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — a tool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lean — to bend
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. roll — a cake
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. plane — in geometry

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