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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a friend

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