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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. march — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rush — hurry
  24. prune — to trim

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