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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — an untruth

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