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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 one o'clock ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bark — to shout
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. charge — a price
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — in control
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pound — to hit hard

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