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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — a face
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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