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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bound — obliged
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. pound — a weight
  9. land — to come down
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bound — certain
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rock — music
  18. land — a country
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — help
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pound — for dogs

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