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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. march — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — the fish
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — hasty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fall — the season
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. march — the month
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fall — to drop

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