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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — child
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — final
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — for dancing
  20. last — finally
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — a match
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — a group

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