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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ground — the earth
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. face — to confront
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ground — a position
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — a straw man

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