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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. row — a line
  11. sharp — clever
  12. staff — a stick
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — to recline
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lie — an untruth

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