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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 124 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. last — final
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pound — a weight
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. lean — to bend
  16. last — finally
  17. spring — the season
  18. lean — thin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rock — music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — to move gently

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