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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · bulb · pound · pop · saw · march · lie · dip

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — soda
  5. march — the month
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — a weight
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — the tool

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