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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lean — thin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pound — a weight
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — to breed
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bound — obliged
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — a friend
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — a partner
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chest — of your body

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