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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. net — for catching
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — in sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. net — after costs
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. shower — to wash
  23. saw — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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