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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. craft — a skill
  8. band — a ring
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mine — for digging
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. band — a music group
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ruler — a monarch

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