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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. toast — bread
  5. stem — to come from
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. shower — to wash
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. straw — a straw man

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