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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pound — a weight
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bound — obliged
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — boats
  14. last — final
  15. craft — a skill
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — to go on
  23. hand — help
  24. last — finally

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