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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cap — a lid

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