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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. row — a line
  14. toast — bread
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. row — to paddle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — an injury

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