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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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Word bank
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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: mark · lie · pound · bore · can · wake · pitcher · saw

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a trace
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — to drill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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