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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: last · jam · rush · pound · lie · present · leaves · mark

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mark — a trace
  5. last — final
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. last — finally
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rush — hurry
  15. present — there
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. jam — a tight spot

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