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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — child
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hand — help
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hand — in cards

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