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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. content — happy
  6. tear — to rip
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. content — the amount
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wound — an injury
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — thin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — to bend

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