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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — a weight
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — of the year
  8. last — to go on
  9. shower — to wash
  10. squash — to crush
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. last — final
  13. suit — in cards
  14. tear — from crying
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. shower — rain
  17. squash — the sport
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. season — in sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. last — finally

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