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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rash — hasty
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rash — a series
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bulb — for light

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