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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stem — to come from
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — clothes
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. suit — to fit
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. game — a match
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stem — of a plant

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