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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a face
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pound — a weight

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