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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to click
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — to come from
  14. firm — a company
  15. current — happening now
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — steady

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