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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — goods
  18. chest — a box
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — to hit hard

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