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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — to shout
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a ring
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — a committee
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to click
  21. band — a music group
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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