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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — magic
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spell — letters
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fall — the season
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — a short time

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