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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. drill — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. drill — army training
  5. lean — thin
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fall — the season
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pop — soda
  18. rock — music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pop — music

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