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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pound — a weight
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. root — the cause
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mug — to rob
  16. root — of a word
  17. toast — bread
  18. fall — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mug — a face
  24. fall — to drop

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