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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — child
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — to be able to

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