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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. last — finally
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — a law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. last — to go on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rule — government
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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