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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. press — to push
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — low music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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