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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — clothes
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — a container
  15. pop — music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — the underground

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