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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chest — a box
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chest — of your body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — a horse colour

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