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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. firm — decided
  3. object — a thing
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. firm — a company
  11. object — an aim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kid — child
  18. object — to protest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. firm — steady
  24. mark — to pay attention

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