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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — a face
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rule — government
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. last — final
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lean — to bend
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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