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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — a series
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bark — to shout
  11. game — a match
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — thin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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